WORKING PARENT::©I PARENT ©ISTOCK; LEGOS: THE NOUN PROJECT
noted.
PLAY WITH ME! when your kid asks to play with you—again WORDS
ALEXIS PATTERSON
“Y
OUR WORK TAKES TOO LONG,” my 6-year-old son informed me recently. I looked up at him from my laptop, where I was editing content for the upcoming DFWChild issue. I knew where this was going. “You need a job that takes less time so you can play with me more,” he continued, going on to suggest alternate occupations—home remodeling, perhaps?—that he thought would give me more time for Nerf battles and space wars. If he had his way, I’d be a full-time playmate. Truth be told, I try to be as close to that as possible. But it can be exhausting. A lot of moms deal with the “Play with me!” refrain. It became even more common during social distancing, with kids cooped up in the house and friends confined to theirs. First things first: We adore our kids and want them to be happy. But sometimes, child’s play dfwchild.com / august 2020
11
